Republic of the Philippines
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Region III – Central Luzon
ALTERNATIVE LEARNING SYSTEM
Schools Division Office of Olongapo City
Name of Learner: ______________________________ Level: ______________________________
Community Learning Center: ____________ Name of ALS Teacher: ________________
Superstitious Belief
Before you begin studying this module, answer the simple test below to determine how much
you already know about our topic.
Put a checkmark () in the blank if the statement is a traditional belief or superstition and put
an X-mark (X) if it is not.
____ 1. A sick person should not look at the moon.
____ 2. A plant will grow healthy if watered regularly.
____ 3. Sweeping the floor at night will bring bad luck.
____ 4. Fishermen get a poor catch of fish when there’s a full moon.
____ 5. A black butterfly is a sign that someone you love will die.
____ 6. A child who drinks milk and eats regularly will grow healthy and strong.
____ 7. If there’s a will, there’s a way.
____ 8. If a spoon drops from the table, a female visitor will arrive.
____ 9. Boiled guava leaves is an effective remedy for infection and wounds.
___ 10. A woman who sings while cooking will become an old maid.
Answer the following test to determine how much you have learned from the module.
Put a checkmark () on the line if the statement expresses a traditional belief, practice or
superstition and an X-mark (X) if it does not.
_______1. You will become an old maid if you sing while
cooking.
_______2. Smoking is bad for your health.
_______3. Herbal medicines like guava leaves are safe and
effective.
_______4. Bad spirits frighten the fish away when there’s a
full moon.
_______5. Sleeping with your hair still wet will cause
blindness.
_______6. A black cat brings bad luck.
_______7. A child who eats plenty of fruits and vegetables will
grow up healthy.
_______8. A male visitor will arrive if the fork falls off the
table during a meal.
_______9. A pregnant woman who wears pearls will have a
miscarriage.
______10. Sweeping the floor at night will bring bad luck.
LESSON 1
Traditional Beliefs, Practices and Superstitions
Let’s Try This
Below are some situations that people encounter every day. What would you do if you were in
these situations? Choose between the two options provided and draw a smiling face (☺) in the blank
before the item of your choice.
1. A friend who is about to get married wants to find out if her wedding gown fits. Her
mother told her that if she tried it on, her wedding would not push through. Not sure what
to do, your friend comes to you for advice. You would tell her to:
______ a. follow her mother’s advice because you also believe that the wedding
won’t push through if she tried her wedding gown on.
______ b. go ahead and try her wedding gown on. What her mother told her is only
a superstitious belief with no scientific basis.
2. Your girlfriend/boyfriend gave you a beautiful handkerchief for your birthday. When you
told your mother about it, she asked you to return the handkerchief because you and your
loved one will break up if you don’t return the gift. You would:
______ a. return the handkerchief even though it is important to you and you know
your girlfriend/boyfriend will be hurt. Your relationship is more
important.
______ b. keep the handkerchief because it is a precious gift. It has nothing to do
with the outcome of your relationship.
3. One night, your cousin asks if she could borrow three cups of rice grains because they
have nothing to eat. Then your husband/wife tells you that lending rice grains at night
would bring bad luck. You would:
______ a. tell your cousin to go back tomorrow because it would bring bad luck if
you lend her rice grains at night.
______ b. give her the rice grains she needs. You know how badly they need it and
what your wife/husband told you is only a superstition.
4. While at the dining table, your daughter accidentally spills some rice on the floor.
Remembering that your mother told you that sweeping the floor at night will bring bad
luck, you:
______ a. decide to leave the cleaning for tomorrow. You don’t want to have bad
luck.
______ b. clean the mess anyway. You know that bad luck is not connected with
sweeping the floor at night.
5. A stray dog bit your son. Your grandfather knows that your son is fearful of injections so he
suggested that instead of taking him to the doctor, you should just kill the dog so the
rabies in your son’s body would die, too. You only want what’s best for your son, so you
would:
______ a. not take him to the doctor so he won’t undergo the needed injections.
You would just make sure that your grandfather kills the dog
immediately.
______ b.
take him to the doctor immediately. You would rather let him undergo
the needed injections than take a chance with his life. You know that
modern medicine is a much better option than superstition.
Let’s Try This
1. What other traditional beliefs, practices or superstitions about marriage do you know?
If you are about to get married, will you follow these practices? Why or why not?
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
____________________________________________________
2. Supposing these situations happened to you, what will you do?
a. After playing in the field, your younger brother complained of stomachache. The
elder folks in your community jumped to the conclusion that your brother was
being played with by elves and should be brought to the albularyo. Will you
follow their advice?
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
b. You are on your way to a job interview. As you are walking towards the bus stop,
you see a black cat standing in your path. What will you do? Will you still proceed
to your job interview even though you know that black cats bring bad luck?
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
Let’s See What You Have Learned
Before you go to the next lesson, answer the test below in order to determine how much you
have learned.
Put a check mark () in the blank if the statement is a traditional belief, practice or superstition
and put an X-mark (X) if it is not.
_______ 1. A pregnant woman who eats twin bananas will give birth to twins.
_______ 2. A child who eats plenty of fruits and vegetables will grow healthy.
_______ 3. You will catch plenty of fish if the clouds are shaped like fish scales.
_______ 4. A house with stairs facing the main door will bring bad luck.
_______ 5. If a man and a woman get married in the month of February, they will be separated
from each other.
_______ 6. If a black butterfly enters a house, this means that someone in that house will die.
_______ 7. If a person dreams of a snake, this means he/she will have plenty of money.
_______ 8. If you talk to a plant, it will grow healthy.
_______ 9. A person who works hard will achieve his/her goals.
______ 10. It is difficult to catch fish if there is no moon because bad spirits frighten them away
from the surface.
Let’s Remember
There are still many traditional beliefs, practices and superstitions existing in the Filipino home
and community today. Even though most of these beliefs are false and misleading, many Filipinos
believe them because they have been handed down to us by our elders.
LESSON 2
Explanation of Some Traditional Beliefs and Practices
Let’s Think About This
Do you believe that boiled guava leaves are effective for wounds and infections? Do you
know other plants that may be used as remedies for different illnesses? You may write your
answers below.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
Let’s Learn
Many Filipinos are still very traditional when it comes to their health. They prefer herbal plants
to modern medicines. The traditional belief that herbal medicines are effective and have no side
effects has a good basis. The Department of Health even released a list of medicinal plants for major
health problems in the Philippines. This proves that not all traditional beliefs are false or misleading.
Do you believe that bad spirits frighten the fish away from the water surface when
there’s a full moon? Why or why not? You may write your answer in the spaces below.
_________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Let’s Read
In preparation for the barrio fiesta, Kapitan Teban, the barangay captain of Barangay Masigasig, led the
cleaning of the whole neighborhood, as well as the felling of an unsightly old tree at the back of the barangay
hall. He helped in pulling down the vines that entwined the tree. The next morning, he was surprised to find
that his face had become red, swollen and itchy.
Kapitan Teban ignored the advice of the elder folks because he did not believe in elves. But his skin
trouble got worse. One day, when he was talking to his wife…
Kapitan Teban went to the albularyo and submitted himself to the lamping ceremony. After the
ceremony, the old medicine man got some coconut oil and anointed Kapitan Teban’s face with it.
Surprisingly, the Kapitan’s itchy and hot sensation completely disappeared. Since then, the swelling and
redness of his face gradually disappeared.
Let’s Think About This
Read and answer the questions below.
1. What do you think was the cause of Kapitan Teban’s skin trouble?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
2. Do you agree with what Aling Mering told him?
_____Yes _____No
Explain your answer.
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
3. What do you think cured Kapitan Teban’s skin trouble?
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
This experiment proves that Kapitan Teban’s ailment was not caused by angry elves, as the
elders believed, but by some external irritating substances.
